Millbrook’s winter guard has always been a secret treasure in our school. Not many people participate in it, but they continue to win competition after competition each year. Last year, they won first place at championships in Fayetteville, N.C. In the 2023-2024 school year, many students have started to recognize their success and are jumping at the opportunity to be a part of it.
This year is a little different, though. The instructors are collaborating with two new additions; Rolesville High School students, and Millbrook’s new dance teacher, Mr. Anthony! Cat Talk asked Francesco Armas, a senior from Rolesville, to give some insight on his experience working with Millbrook.
Last year, Armas was the only student from Rolesville to collaborate with Millbrook’s guard. He was asked what he first thought about combining the two schools, to which he said, “When we combined, I was the first and only person from Rolesville to join. I was nervous!” Armas says that now he is much more comfortable with the winterguard members and has made positive friendships. His favorite part of guard is, “…watching other guards with my friends. It’s always a treat to see other high schools across the state perform.”
The new dance teacher, Mr. Anthony, was also interviewed to get a better understanding of how this season will be run. He was asked how he feels about taking on winter guard during his first year here at Millbrook. He said, “It’s super exciting being able to work with the Millbrook guard program as a first-year teacher. It feels like returning back home as I was a part of winter/color guard throughout high school and some of college. It’s also the reason I started taking dance!”
When asked what Mr. Anthony would like to bring to the program, he says he wants to continue to grow it. “I want to help structure strong technical foundations while also fostering student’s creativity. My goal is to help continue to grow the guard program as the years go on and compete at more Regionals/World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. We are a joint winter guard with Rolesville High School which allows for more opportunities for students to participate in this amazing sport of the arts!”
Freshman Alex Rubio-Hernandez was asked how he found out about guard. He said, “I actually learned about winter guard through marching band! Marching bands have a color guard, and I remember being really impressed with it. And all of the color/winterguard people are really nice and make you feel welcome. So when they asked if I was interested in doing winterguard, I was very excited to join.”
We wish Millbrook’s winter guard a very successful 2023-2024 season, and good luck to all new members!
